5 Reasons Lionel Richie is a Legend
Lionel Richie has been a household name in the music industry since the 1970s, but he still manages to stay relevant. Whether starring in movies, touring the country, or recording new music, Lionel has proven that he is one of the most talented artists in the world and will be so for generations to come. Here are five reasons why Lionel Richie is truly a legend.
1) 18 No. 1 Hits
He penned 18 No. 1 hits, including Easy, Three Times A Lady, Stuck On You, and the ultimate love ballad, Endless Love. He has earned six Grammy awards, two Golden Globes, an Oscar, and many more accolades during his career. In 1984 he established The Lionel Richie Charitable Foundation with an initial donation of $10 million to provide college scholarships for underprivileged students. He holds the Guinness World Record for receiving nine platinum albums in one decade - one for every album he released between 1983 and 1993. As of 2016, he has sold 85 million records worldwide - making him one of the best-selling music artists in history. His songwriting credits range from Brenda Lee's Let's Pretend (1963) to Diana Ross' Endless Love (1981). His album Dancing on the Ceiling' was so popular that it went platinum before it was even released! Lionel's charitable work includes his creation of the endowment at Tuskegee University, which provides financial support to deserving African American students attending that prestigious university. He also supports the City of Hope and other charities through monetary donations. He has raised more than $400 million for charity through his foundation. He has accomplished all this while working tirelessly to maintain his status as one of the top-selling musicians in America. Perhaps most importantly, Lionel continues to connect with people of all ages by writing and performing songs that everyone can relate to.
2) 14 Grammy Awards
Richie has achieved extraordinary success in the entertainment industry and as an American musician. The legend has racked up fourteen Grammy Awards (seven awards for Turtle Dovin' All The Way Home) and two American Music Awards for his infectious tunes. He also won an Academy Award for participating in Endless Love with Diana Ross. When it comes to being named one of the best-selling musical artists of all time, he’s undoubtedly at the top of the list, with 140 million albums sold over his career. As if that wasn't enough, Richie is also responsible for penning three songs that have been inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame: Hello, Lady, and Endless Love. Clearly, this R&B icon deserves every accolade he's received so far and will continue to receive in the future. Keep reading to see why Lionel Richie is a music legend! Two Grammys for Endless Love: Those three songs mentioned before? Yeah, they were all co-written by Richie. The most famous song on the list is Endless Love, initially released in 1981. However, Richie's only awarded Grammys were from 2010 when it was added to the Grammy Hall of Fame along with Hello and Lady.
3) 13 Platinum Albums
Lionel has created the most platinum albums ever in music history, and he's the first artist to score over 40 numbers on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. His career took off in 1983 when he co-wrote and co-produced Endless Love with Diana Ross and James Ingram. Two more hugely popular albums followed - 1985's Dancing On The Ceiling, which featured his first US Number 1 single as a solo artist, Say You, Say Me followed by All Night Long (1986), which featured duets with Tina Turner and James Taylor. Richie continued to churn out hit after hit for decades without fail. Throughout the 1990s, his duet album with Julio Iglesias went to Number 1 in 18 countries worldwide. Lionel worked closely with long-time friend Dionne Warwick for her Friends Can Be Lovers album; that same year, Richie released Louder Than Words and scored another UK Number 1. In 1999, he had six incredible singles from one album - Louder Than Words: Penny Lover, Running With The Night, Endless Love, and All Alone Without You, among others. One of his biggest international hits was 1991's Academy Award-nominated song 'Lady.' 1996 brought new collaborations with Michael Jackson, Tina Turner, and Kylie Minogue. He wrote two songs, including the top ten hit 'I Don't Wanna Go Home, which became a huge radio success.
One of his most notable projects in recent years is 2003's Go which became the bestselling R&B album of 2004 and features production work from mentor Quincy Jones.
In 2007 Lionel embarked on his first tour since 2001. He played 30 dates at major arenas around America before finishing up at Madison Square Garden. Many artists came out to perform their versions of Richie’s classics like Lady and Three Times A Lady. It was indeed a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
4) He's been nominated for Golden Globes
In addition to being an all-around talented musician, producer, and singer, Lionel Richie has also been nominated for multiple Golden Globes. He's currently up for Best Original Song for the song Deep River from The New Kings of Hollywood.
He won his first Grammy in 1985 with Say You, Say Me. He continued his run in 1987 when he was nominated for We Are the World, which was released to help raise money for African famine relief. His following nominations include 1997's It Ain't Over Till It's Over, 1998's My Love, and 2007's Never Give Up On A Good Thing. The latter was nominated once again in 2008. Lionel has helped create some of the most memorable songs ever recorded, so it should be no surprise that he continues to be recognized for his accomplishments. In 1983, he co-wrote Kenny Rogers' biggest hit - Lady - and composed Barbra Streisand's Woman in Love. Other hits he penned are All Night Long, by Barry White; Dancing on the Ceiling, by Lionel Ritchie; and Hello by Martin Nievera. These achievements make him more than deserving of recognition among music legends.
If you have yet to explore the music of Lionel Richie, I suggest doing so now. Your time will not be wasted! He sings in falsetto, and his voice ranges into baritone registers and down to bass notes. There are moments when he changes pitch without moving any part of his head or neck. Often he changes keys within a single phrase without altering anything else about his singing technique. At the top of one measure, he'll sing in the key of F major, then lower himself by three steps at the end of that same measure into E major. Again: such prowess makes Lionel Richie one for history books--at least for those who still enjoy good music!
5) He's won an Oscar and Golden Globe award
In 1997, he won an Academy Award and Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song. He collaborated with Michael Jackson on We Are the World which won another Grammy and the American Music Award. In 2001, he was awarded an honorary Doctorate of Arts by Berklee College of Music. Lionel is also a TV producer and executive, having helped produce The Color Purple, Introducing Dorothy Dandridge, and the documentaries Lionel: Africa Across the Ocean and We Are The World 25.
Richie has sold more than 200 million records worldwide in his career. His first release as a solo artist, Truly, had two consecutive weeks at number one on the UK Singles Chart in 1983. He's worked as a composer for Disney movies like The Lion King and Aladdin. His song All Night Long became one of the most popular singles ever released by Motown Records. As co-writer or co-composer, he created significant hit songs, including Diana Ross' Endless Love, Barbra Streisand's Woman in Love, Paul Anka's (You're) Having My Baby, Kenny Rogers' Lady, Dionne Warwick's Heartbreaker, and Michael Jackson's We Are the World. As a member of the Commodores, his signature hits include three US Top 10 singles I Want To Be Your Everything, Still, Brick House. He holds the record for being the only artist to have eight albums consecutively debut at #1 on the Billboard album chart, starting with Risin' to the top in 1978 and ending with 1988’s Dancing On The Ceiling.
In 1985, he co-founded Lionel Richie Productions Inc., a television production company that produced such shows as NBC’s Later Today show.
After years of performing due to divorce and raising his children, Richie released a new album called Tuskegee that debuted at #1 on both sides of the Atlantic and reached platinum status in Canada within four days.
He followed up that success with 2013’s Tuskegee University Sessions tour across America. He'll be releasing another album this year called Soulbook. If you want to know why Lionel Richie is a legend, here are five reasons.
Conclusion
It's undeniable that he's been one of the most influential musicians of all time. His inspirational lyrics, infectious voice, and supreme talent have taken him from living as a working-class auto mechanic in Tuskegee to being on stage with The King of Rock n Roll. He set high expectations for music artists to come, and his work continues to show up in movies, tv shows, and on our radio airwaves. It seems like there is no end to the well of knowledge Mr. Richie possesses about life and what it takes to succeed at it. And we're just scratching the surface! If you want more insight into the rich history of this legend, check out this list of 5 Reasons Lionel Richie Is A Legend. If you want more insight into the rich history of this legend, check out this list of five reasons why Lionel Richie is a legend.